All children are innately musical. When children begin exposure to a rich music environment at an early age they lay a foundation for a positive lifetime of learning. Using the internationally acclaimed Musik Garten curriculum, our early childhood group classes lay a solid aural foundation. Musical concepts along with tonal and rhythm patterns masked in play begin in the first class. Educational tips, along with a take home CD and parent book, make for a positive music experience in and outside of music class.

Each session we sing, build community, dance, play rhythm sticks, egg shakers, drums, multi-cultural instruments, scarves, ribbon dances and hoops. We listen to classical and multi cultural music as well as guided movement and listening activities.

When families come to us with very young children they start in our Tiny Tunes program; there we build a repertoire of music and community with plenty of opportunities to educate parents/caregivers on why music supports the many ways children grow and develop.

As children begin to walk our Music in Motion program incorporates movement, expanded repertoire, dance and hoops for guided gross motor learning.

Our Tots and Tunes program starts around age two when children begin to model the musical activities that the parent/caregiver and teachers are taking part in. At this age and ability level the recorded listening/movement activities increase along with an awareness of the sounds in the world in which we live. The growth in aural awareness happens daily and continues to be nurtured with songs and dances appropriate for this magical age.

Steppin’ Up, our four and five year old program, expands further on the tonal, rhythm and musical concepts that are already in the children’s “ears” from earlier classes. Ear training is a part of every class and again children see it as a joyful, playful activity. We continue to expand our ability to hear by identifying instruments in the orchestra and end the Fall and Spring semesters with four weeks of “Frog Point Fiddle” with rhythm activities on child size violins. The Winter Semester ends with four weeks of tonette exposure.

Keyboard Magic Classes for five to eight year olds is the final step is creating the body and ear as the child’s instrument. Children sing, dance, solfege, and work rhythms then bring that knowledge to the keyboard. Because it is in their ears and body, changing keys, rhythms and modalities are part of a discovery process on the keyboard. Pieces are sung before they are played where group work supports individual abilities to grow on many keyboarding levels.